Touch of Destiny
by Silmarilz1701
Summary: Fira, a teenage druid, is caught between a rock and a predator. With her magic suppressed, her only hope is the knights of Camelot. When they can't prevent her injury, Arthur sees no alternative but to bring her back to Camelot, despite having witnessed her magic. What happens when Merlin realizes that the Knights need a protector, or a protectoress, just like Arthur?
1. Stranger in a Strange Wood

_A/N: This story was written several years ago, before I really developed my writing style. I was also majorly clinically depressed when I wrote this and this is reflected in my writings. This IS an original character centered fic, so don't read if you don't like those. I understand that this can be slighly Mary Sue-ish at points, but give me a break, I was like what, thirteen?, when I wrote this. Only reason I'm posting it is because part two is actually REALLY quite good. As for why I don't rework this fic before posting: I have four other fanfics in the works. I don't have the time, simply put._

_So, read, review, do whatever. I love you all, loyal readers!_

* * *

><p>Merlin was saddling the horses. Once again, King Arthur decided today would be the perfect day for a hunt. And as always, this meant Merlin had to go on the hunt because whenever Arthur left the city of Camelot someone tried to kill him.<p>

"You'd think Arthur would catch on after the fifteenth disastrous hunt," he grumbled, tightening the stirrups on the Royal Horses.

"Yeah well, you know the Princess is a bit thick," came a voice from behind him.

"Good morning, Gwaine," Merlin smiled, turning around to face the knight. "Did the king drag you out on this hunt too?"

Gwaine smirked, "Nah, I volunteered. Well, all of us did," he of course meant the original Round Table knights, Leon, Elyan, Percival, and himself, "What with the beautiful weather and all, we felt today would be a nice day to get out of this stuffy town."

He left the stable door where he'd been leaning and walked over to his elegant black mare. Sneaking her a big red apple, Gwaine turned his attention once more on Merlin.

"Besides, some of us are smart enough to realize that the King shouldn't go hunting without an escort."

Merlin shook his head with a chuckle, "Gwaine, you would do anything to get out of evaluating the new recruits, wouldn't you."

Gwaine threw him a false look of shock, "Whatever do you mean by that?"

"Meaning that you would rather go chase deer than do a hard day's work!"

"You know me too well, Merlin," Gwaine replied, leading his now saddled horse out of the stables.

Merlin just finished his own horse. He realized with a sigh that he would need to get Leon's, Percival's, and Elyan's horses ready now that they were coming. Clever Gwaine left him without bothering to help with the others.

He finished it up ten minutes later, and led Arthur's horse and his own out into the main square. He didn't miss the playful smirk Gwaine shot him from where he sat atop his black mare.

Leon, Elyan, and Percival got their own horses, much to Merlin's relief. The last time he'd tried leading all six horses out had ended in disaster. He had no desire for a repeat that was for sure!

"Come on, Merlin!"

Merlin shot King Arthur a glare, but jumped up on his own horse. He ignored the laughs of the knights, but turned to the king.

"Yes, your royal pratness," came the reply, causing the knights to laugh once more.

Arthur, on the other hand, gave Merlin a not-quite-serious scowl, before leading his horse into a trot and down the cobblestone path.

The day's catch had been good and they decided to stop for the night in the woods.

Leon was the first to notice the signs.

"Sire," he called to Arthur, "I think bandits have been here."

Arthur came over and looked at the ground. Foot prints were visible and heavy boots had trampled that undergrowth.

"Elyan! Percival! Stay here and guard the horses."

Sir Gwaine stopped his joking around with Percival and jogged up to the king. Merlin followed soon after. They went along the trail, quietly searching for the bandits.

The first thing Gwaine heard was the sniffling. It sounded like someone was crying. In fact, he was all but sure that was the source of the peculiar noise.

Then the four men heard voices.

"Brainard says she should catch a high price. Apparently he's got plenty of buyers set up for druid girls. Especially ones with powerful magic like this one."

"How much do you think we can get for her?"

"No less than 500 gold. Even more so if she's been... Trained."

"Let's start her lessons then."

The mysterious voices laughed. It was then that the knights slowed their pace to a crawl, approaching the edge of a clearing hut not quite reaching it.

A piercing scream ripped through the air. It was full of desperation and horror. The screams kept coming until the knights heard the slap of skin on skin. The screams turned to whimpers and moans.

They breached the edge of the clearing. They realized that in fact they were on a short cliff face, overlooking the rest of the open grove. Below them, five or six men were groping at a young girl. The ripping of cloth was heard as her shirt was torn from her body. Likewise, another bandit grabbed her skirt and ripped it in two, exposing her completely.

They kissed her all over, while she struggled to get free, her sobs going unnoticed. A large bruise was visible on her cheek from where they'd slapped her. When one of them violated her with his fingers she gave a shout of pain and horror.

"Shut it, bitch, or we'll kill you, nice and slowly."

The knights looked on in horror and disgust. Gwaine was about to leap up and slaughter the monsters but Arthur held him back.

"What the hell are you doing?" Gwaine demanded angrily.

"She has magic!"

"So we just let them defile her?!"

Arthur paused, before closing his eyes and shaking his head as if to clear it.

"Of course not."

The three knights drew their swords and gave a loud battle cry. The bandits turned in surprise to find four men clambering down, three with drawn swords. The leader gave a shout and all the men drew their weapons. They turned to fight, but as they did so the bandit leader kicked the girl in the head, knocking her out and stopping her cries for help.

The battle was short lived. Five bandits were no match for three trained knights of Camelot, not to mention the most powerful warlock ever. Once they were all killed, the four rescuers turned their attention to the druid prisoner.

"How is she?" Arthur asked Merlin, who was knelt beside her.

"She's injured of course. The blows to her head are the worst. Given me some time to check her over."

The king nodded and left him in peace.

Merlin reached out to take her pulse. As he touched her wrist, a jolt of power coursed through him from the girl. He had to stop himself from panting so as not to draw attention. The bandits weren't kidding when they said she had powerful magic.

He managed to take her pulse after that without any interruption. Her pulse was regular and relatively strong, if a bit fast. Merlin wasn't sure but he guessed this was normal considering what she had gone through.

Merlin stood up and walked over to Arthur. Gwaine found a light blanket and laid it over the girl before joining the others a little bit apart from her.

"So you think she'll make it?"

"I believe so. Gaius would be able to tell you for sure."

Suddenly a moaning came from where the girl lay. All four men jumped at the sound, and they rushed over to her. Merlin knelt beside her while Gwaine, Arthur, and Leon awkwardly stood around the girl.

Slowly she opened her eyes. As she registered the four men, she gave a startled scream, mistaking them for her captors. Her sobs came in full force. They looked around, unsure of what to do.

Arthur drew away with the other two knights.

"Gwaine, stay here with Merlin and the girl. Leon and I will go inform Percival and Elyan of what happened and then we'll bring camp here."

"Course."

They left, leaving Gwaine and Merlin alone with the girl. Gwaine really looked at her for the first time. She was an adolescent, probably sixteen. Her hair was chocolate brown, and her eyes were a beautiful green. But those green eyes were wet with tears and his heart went out for the girl.

"You're alright," he soothed, crouching down across from Merlin on her other side.

"We aren't going to hurt you," Merlin insisted, holding his hands up. He took the ropes that bound her wrists and cut them. As he touched them a jolt of magic hit him and he could tell these binds had been enchanted. Merlin guessed it was resist magic.

She sniffled, choking on her tears. All of a sudden she lay back down completely and curled up on her side. She sobbed, her body shaking with tears as she lay there.

By the time Arthur and the others returned, she was out of tears. Elyan and Percival looked at her and frowned. She looked pitiful, laying down on her side, clutching at a blanket and struggling to restrain her tears.

"You're alright," Merlin insisted again, still sitting beside her, "My name's Merlin."

"We're knights of Camelot," Arthur added, "So we won't hurt you."

Leon raised an eyebrow in question at Arthur. This girl has magic, and though Leon didn't think killing her was right, that was the law.

"What's your name?" Gwaine asked her gently.

"Fira."


	2. A Peculiar Predicament

"That's a pretty name," Elyan said, trying to reassure her further.

"Please, don't hurt me."

"We promise we won't. We want to help you." Percival replied, "Where are you from?"

"A druid camp, west of Rylincroft."

"That's pretty far from here," Leon commented, "How long were you with the bandits?"

"I...I'm not sure. A day, maybe. Feels like longer. I wasn't near my home at the time."

"What were you doing so far from home," Gwaine asked her.

Fira bit her lip, "Running."

The men of Camelot looked at each other in confusion. Why would she be running? Arthur asked her the question they were all pondering.

"A witch came to our settlement and demanded they hand me over. She threatened to destroy us all. I didn't want that to happen to my caretakers, especially since I wasn't actually a druid. So I ran."

"Who was the witch? What did she look like?" Arthur demanded frantically. If it was Morgana...

"I... I don't know. She refused to tell us her name. She had red hair and green eyes."

Everyone relaxed slightly. It wasn't Morgana. But if it wasn't, then who was this new threat?

Arthur nodded his thanks and started over to the fire. Leon followed. Merlin went to his pack and fished around for something.

"Oh, can you walk?" the king turned around again and asked her.

"I'm not sure," Fira admitted.

Merlin returned with some pants and a shirt. "Here you are. They're a bit big, I'm afraid."

She took them gratefully, and awkwardly shifted them on beneath the blanket while the men averted their eyes.

"Thank you... Um..."

"Merlin."

"Thank you, Merlin."

They locked eyes for the first time and Fira realized who it was.

_"Emrys!"_ she telepathically gasped.

He gave a nod in reply to both her exclamations.

Fira tried to stand up and barely could with the tree's support.

"Come on then," Gwaine said, "I'll help get you over to the fire where you can rest."

She accepted his help and hobbled over to the warm campfire. The heat from the fire was comforting to her body and soon she fell asleep, dreaming of things that confused her greatly. A green knight stood out particularly.

"Poor girl. She's been through a lot."

"We still don't know why that witch wanted her."

"Or who the witch is."

Elyan, Percival, and Gwaine were on guard duty while Arthur, Leon, and Merlin slept. Suddenly they heard a twig snap and all three men stood, drawing their swords.

"Who's there?" Gwaine called.

Arthur, Leon, and Merlin stirred. There was no answer. Then all of a sudden, ten or twelve men leapt from all around them with weapons drawn. Every knight had multiple enemies to deal with and Merlin, caught right in the middle, couldn't use his magic without exposing himself.

The knights were doing well until Arthur tripped on a root. This threw off his rhythm, giving his two attackers the upper hand. Merlin and the knights were too busy defending themselves to do anything.

Just as Arthur thought for sure he was done for, both his attackers dropped their weapons and gripped at their throats. They struggled to breath. Finally both dropped, dead, to the ground. Arthur stared face to face with Fira, whose eyes faded from a bright gold to their natural green. All of a sudden a man ran up to her and slashed her across the stomach. She cried out in pain and crumpled to the ground. Quickly Arthur stabbed her assaulter.

Almost immediately the fight was over, the bandits all dead. Percival had a bruise to the arm but other than that they were unharmed.

Except for Fira.

Fira was in palpable pain. Her hands struggled to cover the wound across her stomach and she curled in on herself. She cried out incoherently again. Gwaine, who was the closest besides Arthur, who was still trying to stand up, rushed over and scooped Fira up in his arms. He carried her quickly over to the fire. She didn't even seem to register them anymore.

"What happened?" Leon asked the king.

Arthur shook his head in disbelief, "I was sure I was done for when she strangled the two bandits I was fighting. Then another came by and slashed her."

"She used magic?" Leon repeated incredulously.

Arthur nodded. Then he called over to Gwaine.

"Where's the wound?"

"Stomach."

Merlin rolled up Fira's shirt to expose the wound. When he realized no one was paying him any attention he used the one healing spell he knew- it gave two days of safety before allowing the wound to be fatal again. It also prevented infection. But it still bled out, and Fira was in pain.

Gwaine walked back over to the fire with their herbs Merlin had asked for. He sat down next to Merlin. Fira seemed to be coming to her senses again. She choked back her tears and looked straight up, avoiding eye contact.

"Fira, Fira, I need to clean the wound. This is going to hurt." Merlin told her. He then whispered to Gwaine, "You'll probably need to hold her down."

The knight nodded in response and adjusted himself so he was behind her head. Gwaine gripped her arms and held her comfortably, but firmly. Merlin soaked a cloth in some warm, boiled water and wrung it out. Then he took it and gently wiped the wound. She cried out but bit her lip, trying to keep from screaming. Involuntarily she shook, trying to get free of her restraint. Gwaine didn't budge.

Suddenly Gwaine realized there was blood on Fira's face. He traced the blood to her mouth and realized she'd bit so hard that she'd broken the skin. His big brother instincts kicked in.

"Hey, lass, don't do that. Don't bite yourself, you'll do more harm."

Merlin finished cleaning and dressing the wound soon enough. Gwaine relaxed his grip on Fira and let go. She was struggling to keep awake.

"You can sleep now."

Gwaine made sure she was asleep before joining Leon, Elyan, and Percival. Arthur as sitting silently by himself, deep in thought.

"What happened?" Gwaine asked Leon.

"Arthur was saved when Fira used her magic to strangle the two men, but she took a sword to the stomach."

"She used her magic in front of him?" Gwaine repeated, hardly believing him. This girl was either incredibly foolish, or incredibly brave.

Leon nodded, "Saved his life though."

"And that's what has Arthur all confused," Elyan pointed out, "I doubt he's ever been saved by a sorcerer. Only attacked."

Gwaine smirked. It felt good to put the Princess in such a bind. Make him think about his ruling on magic.

"Any guess as to what he'll do with her," Percival asked the other knights.

They considered this. She had gone against one of the most serious laws Camelot enforced, yet in doing so she had saved her king's life. Surely that must be rewarded with something!

"He shouldn't have her killed," Gwaine finally replied.

At that same moment, Arthur stood suddenly and joined his knights.

"I've decided what to do with her."


	3. Unresponsive

"We are taking Fira back to Camelot so she can be seen to by Gaius. We leave at first light, so get a few hours' sleep. I'll stand guard."

The knights nodded, and dispersed, returning to their bedrolls. There were only a few hours until dawn, and they each intended to make the most of them.

Arthur sat down next to Merlin and Fira.

"Do you think Gaius would be able to save her?"

"I believe so. But I'm not sure. Depends on how fast we got home."

"We leave at first light. For Camelot."

The morning dawned bright and early. Arthur woke Merlin, who had finally gone to sleep, and the knights. Merlin stooped over Fira and took her pulse. He then tried to wake her.

"Fira, wake up. We need to get moving."

No answer.

"Fira, come on."

No answer.

"What's wrong," Gwaine asked his friend.

Merlin sighed, "I can't wake her. Let me try one more time."

"Come on Fira. Please wake up."

She opened her eyes slightly, obviously not entirely focused. Nevertheless both Merlin and Gwaine grinned happily that she was awake. By now the others had cleaned up and packed. They decided to make for Camelot and skip breakfast to save time.

"Right. Up you get," Gwaine told her. He lifted her up, one arm going carefully under her legs and the other under her back.

"Gwaine, give her to Leon. His horse is the strongest," Arthur ordered.

Gwaine did as instructed. He lifted her up to the experienced knight.

Leon grabbed hold of her and sat Fira in front of him. She had lost consciousness again but she was so light that it didn't bother him much as she leaned against his chest. Everyone else mounted and they made their way home to Camelot.

"Merlin!"

They pulled their horses in and turned to see what Leon had shouted about. Merlin cantered up to him.

"She's coughing up blood."

"Let me check her over," Merlin insisted.

Arthur rode over and Leon explained the situation as Percival took Fira in his arms. She didn't even stir, which worried them all. They were about two hours from Camelot city.

Percival set her down where Merlin told him and then he and Gwaine sat a few feet from them, backs against a tree. Both knights felt protective of her. Had they thought about it, they'd have realized that their older brother instincts were setting in. Percival's sister had died at about the same age, perhaps younger, as Fira. Gwaine... Well Gwaine never spoke about his younger siblings.

Merlin gritted his teeth as he removed the bandage from Fira's abdomen. He was relieved to find that the cut was oozing only a little blood. There was nothing he could do for her here. She would need Gaius.

The rattling of a saddle bag brought Merlin back to the present. He looked over to find Leon and Elyan talking with Arthur as the King fiddled through his horse's pack. The former two seemed to like the girl well enough, also. Arthur though was obviously still nervous around her, no doubt due to his history with magic users.

Merlin went over and joined Gwaine and Percival. Gwaine tossed him a roll of bread as he drew near, and Merlin caught it with ease.

"So. What's the word?" Gwaine asked when his friend came over.

"Not good. She needs Gaius, and soon."

"What if I were to take her. My horse is the fastest," Gwaine suggested. Arthur had come over.

"Agreed. Godspeed, Gwaine," the King nodded.

The knight lept up on his horse and lifted Fira into the seat in front of him. He shifted his black steed towards Camelot and then took off as fast as he dared without harming his mount. The trees whipped past him and within an hour he saw the towers of Camelot's citadel.

"Open the gates!"

Gwaine rode on into the city, dodging the citizens that meandered along the road. He trotted into the citadel square and dismounted, pulling Fira down with him. Leaving the servants to see to his horse, Gwaine carried Fira to the physician's chambers.

"Gaius!"

The door opened quickly and a surprised old man stared at Gwaine.

"Gwaine! You're not due back until tomorrow!"

"We ran into some bandits who had this girl prisoner. She's badly injured."

Gaius moved out of the way so Gwaine could place Fira on the patient's cot. He ran around gathering herbs and potions and poultices. He asked the knight how long it had been since her injury.

"The stomach wound happened around midnight. Her other wounds, like the bruises, were from yesterday afternoon."

Gaius nodded and continued his work. He ordered Gwaine to begin mixing a certain poultice while he himself undressed Fira. Gaius covered her legs with a sheet and used a smaller one to cover her upper chest. Gaius used a small knife to cut the bandage Merlin had applied and took a look at the wound. The physician was surprised at how the laceration looked; it wasn't infected or bleeding out too much.

Had he not known of Merlin's magic, he'd have been utterly at a loss. But keeping it in mind, Gaius accepted the medical anomaly and thanked the old gods for it. Grabbing the mixture of calendula and yarrow from Gwaine, Gaius spread a layer of the paste over the stomach wound. The poultice should encourage healing and prevent inflammation.

"I need you to mix a salve of comfrey, Gwaine. Do you know which herb I'm talking about," he asked, not looking up from his patient.

"Yes. Give me a moment," Gwaine assured him, grabbing the root and leaves out of Gaius' herb store.

"Place it on her bruises when you're finished. Since Merlin isn't here, you'll have to help."

"Course. I know some medicine after living and adventuring on my own for so long."

They worked in silence for the next few minutes. Gaius wrapped Fira's stomach wound, and turned then to his shelves of potions. He found one labeled "Shepherd's Purse" and took it down.

"This should stop the internal bleeding," he explained to Gwaine who had finished covering the various bruises on her body.

Gaius had Gwaine hold Fira's head up and tilt it back. The physician uncapped the bottle, poured it slowly into her mouth, and then put it back on the shelf.

"Now. Tell me what happened."

The others arrived in Camelot city roughly half an hour after Gwaine. Percival, Elyan, and Merlin immediately went to find Gwaine at the physician's quarters.

"Leon, go and tell the guards to add more patrols and more patrol members around the area we were in. Smugglers and other bandits may very well use that area as a safe route," King Arthur told the knight.

"Yes sire."

With that, Arthur went to go find Queen Guinevere. His wife would certainly want to know about this most recent development.

"Well, I must say you all do manage to make hunting much more complicated than it has to be," Gaius commented, wiping his hands on a towel and turning to face Merlin, Percival, Elyan, and Gwaine.

"Will she be alright, Gaius?" Merlin asked him quickly.

"Yes, I think she will. I may keep her unconscious for a day to help her body heal, but the internal wound was rather small, and it will patch together on its own," Gaius smiled at the three onlookers as their faces visibly brightened.

Gwaine was about to say something when there came a knock at the door.

"Come!" Gaius called.

"Excuse me, but Sir Gwaine, Sir Elyan, and Sir Percival are needed in the King's chambers," a servant told them before bowing her head and continuing on her way.

"The princess probably wants to talk about the newest member of Camelot. Again," Gwaine commented while on his way out. Percival and Elyan followed him and they hurried off to Arthur's rooms.

As soon as the door closed, Merlin elaborated on the story that he and the knights had told Gaius.

"She's powerful, Gaius. Almost as powerful as I am. Or Morgana," Merlin explained as he sat down to a very late dinner some 20 minutes later.

"There's something about her. Something special. As soon as I touched her arm there was some kind of... connection between us. Between our magic!"

Gaius let his gaze rest on the bed that Fira was peacefully lying down on. "You don't sense any malice from her, do you?"

"No, that's just it. Other than benevolence the only thing I get from her is confusion, and hurt," Merlin replied.

Suddenly a thought struck him.

"Gaius, do you need any herbs," he asked as he suddenly stood up.

"Merlin. I know that look. What are you up to?"

"I- I want to ask Kilgharrah about her. Couldn't you just... Tell Arthur you need some special herbs or something if he comes by?" Merlin begged, "Please Gaius!"

Sighing, Gaius waved his hand in dismissal, and Merlin lost no time in grabbing his pack and rushing out the door.

When Gwaine, Elyan, and Percival arrived at the King's Chambers Gwen, Arthur, and Leon were there waiting.

They joined the group, some standing, some sitting. Arthur paced the room.

"Arthur, would you stop pacing," Gwen let out an exasperated sigh.

Arthur froze in place and then retreated back towards his wife.

"Obviously, this is about the druid girl," Arthur began.

Gwaine rolled his eyes.

"Now that you're here, we," Arthur put his arm around Gwen, "wanted to discuss a possible idea for what she can do around Camelot."

"When Arthur told me about Fira," Gwen began, "I began considering taking her on as my maidservant. But to be honest," she chuckled, "I'd feel bad because she'd never be able to use her magic!"

"Then I thought about how she used Magic her magic to protect you when the bandits attacked. That's why I think.. I think that Fira should unofficially become something like a maidservant to the Knights of the Round Table," Gwen said grinning.

The knights looked at Arthur in surprise. He motioned for them to wait.

"Fira's job wouldn't be like a full time maidservant. She wouldn't tend to you on a daily basis. She'd officially become Gaius' assistant. But whenever you go out on patrol or on a quest, Fira would join you. It'd be her responsibility to be sure that you come back in one piece. Since she'd officially be Gaius' assistant, most people would assume she'd be going with you as a healer," finished Gwen triumphantly.

Elyan spoke first. "I think that's a wonderful idea, Gwen!"

Gwaine added an, "As do I!"

"Excellent idea, Gwen!" Percival grinned.

"It could work. I'm sure Merlin would like the company," Leon agreed.

"It's settled then. Go and get some rest. Training will start an hour later than usual tomorrow," Arthur dismissed the knights.

When the door had closed, Arthur turned to Gwen.

"Let's just hope you're right about the girl."

"From what you told me, I don't think Fira poses a threat. All you need to do is watch her for a few weeks to be sure," Gwen said, "Besides. I feel better knowing there's someone who has magic with you and the knights now that Morgana and her friends are out there somewhere."

She pulled him into a kiss.


	4. Nyx

Sneaking out of Camelot was easy. The guards really were rather stupid.

Merlin tramped through the woods until he reached the clearing where Kilgharrah would come. Raising his head he called out to the dragon.

A minute passed before the Great Dragon landed in front of Merlin.

"There is someone you wish to ask me about, isn't there young Warlock."

"It's about Fira! When I met her I felt this sort of connection. What do you know about her?"

"Her destiny intertwines with yours. Fira, as you call her, has a great part to play in the formation of Albion.

"You and Arthur Pendragon are two sides of the same coin. But Arthur is not alone. Arthur has the Knights of the Round Table at his side. As Arthur has the knights, so you also will have a companion. One with whom you can trust.

"Fira is known by another name in the ancient prophecies. She is called Nyx where you, young Warlock, are called Emrys. Just as you, Emrys, protect the Once and Future King, so also will Nyx protect the Round Table.

"But you must take care. Fira is young and still exploring the potential of her powers. Like the Sea she can become ruthless and dangerous. You must guide her, be her leader. Only with your support will she complete her destiny as Protectoress of the Knights.

"And Merlin," added Kilgharrah cryptically, "heed my words, for if the Knights fall, Arthur and Albion fall with them."

Merlin took a deep breath. That was a lot to take in.

"Watch over her Merlin, and tread carefully, for the Destiny of Albion is at stake."

Merlin watched Kilgharrah fly off, pondering what he'd learned. Sighing, he set off towards the castle, picking a few herbs as he went.

When he got back to Gaius' chambers the physician told him about what Arthur had decided.

"Better get some sleep, Merlin. You still have work to do in the morning."

Merlin didn't complain as he walked up the steps into his room and fell into a deep sleep.

As Gaius had said, Fira was unconscious for the next day.

When she did wake, though, Fira found she was lying in a basic wooden, yet nonetheless comfortable, bed. The sunshine was streaming in through the big open windows, warming the blanket that protected her from a slight draft.

She lay still for a few minutes, content merely to stare up at the ceiling. It was only when the quiet of the room was interrupted by voices outside the door that she pulled herself up into a sitting position.

Gaius came shuffling in with his medicine bag.

"Ah. Nice to meet you when you're conscious! I'm Gaius. I keep Merlin out of trouble. He'd have been caught with magic long ago if not for me," smiled the old man. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better than I have for days, thank you," Fira replied carefully.

The door to Gaius' chambers opened once more and in walked Merlin and Arthur.

"See! Told you she'd be awake this morning," Merlin told Arthur with a smile as they walked towards the bed.

"Hello Sire, Merlin," Fira greeted with a warm grin, "I suppose we've reached Camelot, then."

"Yes, we arrived a little over a day ago. I have a proposition to make regarding your work here in Camelot," and so Arthur explained to her what he and the knights had agreed upon.

"It'd be my honor, Sire."

"Please. Call me Arthur."

"Alright. Arthur," Fira grinned, taking the proffered hand and shaking it.

"Right. I suggest you accompany Merlin around today, get to know the layout of the castle," the King said before leaving the room.

"I fear I too must go. There's a case of sweating sickness in the Lower Town," Gaius told them before following the king out.

"Fira, I found out something from a friend of mine last night. Well, he's a dragon. Kilgharrah actually, but he's a friend nonetheless. He told me that your destiny is entwined with mine. It is our duty to see that Albion is created!"

"Me? My destiny is alongside yours? But... You're Emrys. How could I possibly help the most powerful warlock to ever live," she replied doubtfully.

"According to legend, Emrys has a companion, a girl called Nyx by the druids. Her destiny is to protect Arthur's closest knights, just as Emrys protects Arthur.

"Don't you see? Together we can bring about Albion. Magic will be free in the world again!" Merlin said excitedly.

"Besides," his tone grew sad, "it will be good to have someone to talk about magic with. Someone who understands."

"Merlin, you have no idea how much it means to me to help Emrys. I may not have been born a druid, but I was raised like one. I will gladly help you in any way I can!"

Merlin shot her a wide grin from where he sat eating an apple and looking through a book of spells.

"Can you walk? Arthur was right, we should get you acquainted with Camelot!" he suggested, hiding the book.

"Yes, I believe so. But let's go before Gaius gets back and tells me otherwise," she laughed, pulling herself to her feet.

Fira realized she was now wearing a deep red dress. It wasn't a particularly expensive dress but Fira was in awe.

"Oh, this dress is gorgeous!"

Merlin smirked, "Elyan and Gwen picked it out for you yesterday at the market. They figured you'd like it. Gwen mentioned something about 'red being your color.'"

"Gwen? As in Queen Guinevere?" she gasped, staring at Merlin wide-eyed.

Merlin opened the door and they walked out. "Yeah. I forgot, you've not met her in person yet!"

"No, I've only met Gaius since I've gotten here. This place is awfully big and crowded," Fira commented, slightly worried as all the servants bustled about like busy bees.

Merlin chuckled, "Come on. Let's have you meet Gwen first. She's been dying to meet you. Between you and me, I think she'll be glad to have another woman around!"

Another few minutes of walking and they arrived outside the King and Queen's quarters. Merlin knocked and a woman's voice answered inviting them in.

Merlin opened the door and stepped in.

"Hey Gwen! This," he gestured to Fira, "is Fira!"

The woman was beautiful. She had long curly dark hair and a dark complexion. Her deep brown eyes betrayed the emotions beneath. It took Fira's breath away.

"Your majesty," she managed, curtseying to the queen.

"Oh please, none of that. Call me Gwen," the queen insisted, coming over from her seat and joining the two newcomers.

"My, you certainly do look gorgeous in that dress! When I went with Arthur to visit you yesterday I told Merlin that red would look spectacular on you!"

"I wanted to thank you for the dress, Gwen. It means a lot to me that you're willing to help," Fira smiled shyly at the older woman.

"It's nothing, believe me. Has Merlin showed you around yet," Gwen asked, directing the question at him.

"This was our first stop. Any suggestions as to the next sight, Gwen," Merlin explained.

"What about the training grounds," the queen suggested, "In fact I'd love to join you. I want to see the looks on the knights' faces when you show up in this dress, Fira!"

"They're going to love it. I think you have at least two older brothers now, by the way," Merlin joked as they headed down to the fields.

"Percival and Gwaine," Gwen explained to her as Fira gave them a quizzical look.

"They've been asking about you every time I run into them. I think it's safe to say that whenever a boy takes a fancy to you, they're going to have the Knights of the Round Table to answer to first," she added.

Fira laughed so long and hard at the thought that when they arrived she and Gwen were almost in tears. Merlin was shaking his head at their antics.

"I think I'll run ahead and tell the knights to expect to ladies as spectators."

Merlin slowed from a jog as he approached the group of knights.

"Ah, Merlin! Decided to tag along after all," Arthur teased him.

"Sort of. I was introducing Fira to Gwen when her royal highness decided that they should watch you all practice" he smirked as Arthur visibly paled for a moment.

At that moment the sound of light voices filled the air as Guinevere and Fira came into view. The knights stopped sparring and waited for the two women to reach them.

"Hello! I decided that Fira and I would watch the training today!"

"Oh, Sir Elyan. I just wanted to thank you for the dress," Fira added, blushing a bit as she realized all the knights were eyeing her new outfit.

"'Ey, no problem. Gwen and I have always been a good team when it comes to fashion," the dark knight joked.

"With women's fashion maybe," Gwaine smirked.

"Hey!"

Gwaine had just enough time to bring his dulled blade up to block as Elyan landed a blow and they went back to practicing.

"Know how to use a sword?" Percival asked Fira when he noticed her watching them eagerly.

"No not really. Not well, anyways. As a druid we never had much use for them. I'm not even half-decent with a bow and arrow," she told the large knight.

"Maybe we could teach you sometime. Gwen knows how to fight," Leon suggested.

Fira turned to the queen curiously.

"As the daughter of a blacksmith, my father taught me. And it's a good thing too, what with all the fighting I've had to do in recent years," Gwen explained.

"Percival! Come here," Arthur called from near where Gwaine and Elyan sparred. He jogged over.

"Yes. We, the majority of the druids I mean, wanted to help Camelot against Morgana. She is a traitor to her kin," she said venomously.

Merlin, Gwen, and Leon looked at her in surprise.

"The druids may be secretive, but we aren't oblivious. Most of us pledge our allegiance to Arthur Pendragon, even if he does shun our magic," she explained further.

"What do you mean, most druids?" Leon asked.

"There are some who grow weary of waiting for a new world where magic is free. They seek out Morgana to aid her. But those druids are few and far between," Fira reassured them.

Leon nodded, and turned to where Gwaine had just won the fight against Elyan.

"Better get back to practice," he said and left.

"So, Fira, what do you think of the knights so far?" Gwen asked. They leaned against a guard rail.

"Well. Gwaine certainly is a character. But I can tell that he's very loyal and has a great heart. He'd help anyone in need, and avenge any friend who's been wronged. Gwaine's passionate.

"Elyan is kind-hearted. He leads with his heart. He's very good with words. Unlike the others though he doesn't feel a need to use force unless absolutely necessary.

"Percival," she laughed lightly, "Percival is like a big teddy bear. Don't tell him I said that though. But I think that under his quiet façade he's got strong ties of loyalty to all that is right.

"Leon. Well, I'd say Leon is passionate, though he hides it beneath a calm and collected shell. He's seen a lot of combat, no doubt, which humbles him."

"And Arthur?"


	5. Alone Among Many

"Arthur is under a lot of pressure. He is mighty, and has great potential, Gwen. But he doubts himself. He looks around and sees all the ways he can fail. He must be strong."

"You're much smarter than you look, Fira," Gwen commented.

"Perhaps," Fira laughed, blushing slightly, "but whatever wisdom I've gained I owe to the druids."

Suddenly Fira stiffened. She whipped around so she was facing the trees at the edge of the training grounds.

"What is it," Merlin asked quietly.

"I'm not sure. It doesn't feel quite like magic. Whatever it is, though, I don't believe it's evil."

She approached the trees. Gwen and Merlin who were a bit farther behind her hear Fira give a laugh.

"Hello there! Nice to meet you!"

When Fira turned to face them, a sleek gray cat slithered through her legs. It looked skinny, so it was obviously a feral cat.

"This is Nada," she said walking over to Gwen and Merlin.

Merlin noted that the cat stayed at Fira's feet.

"How do you know that's its name," Gwen asked.

"Oh! Well, she told me! It means Hope."

"Told you?"

"Yeah. I don't know why, or how," she said with a sad smile on her face.

"I think I know how we can find out. I'll tell you later," Merlin told her telepathically.

"Ever since I was younger, animals have been drawn to me," Fira explained to Gwen.

The cat, Nada, gave a few meows before leaping up. She landed on the top of the railing and sat straight up, tail twitching, and watched the knights training.

"What'd she say?" Merlin asked.

"She told me that she thinks the knights look very skilled," Fira smiled.

"You know, we need to get you a horse if you are to become a regular part of the patrols," said Merlin.

"I'm afraid I have to get going. I'm working on a special present for Elyan's birthday. It was nice talking to you, Fira," Gwen smiled before walking back to the castle.

"Awh darn it! And I've got to go clean Arthur's room! Your always welcome to come, but it won't be very pleasant or interesting," Merlin made a face at the prospect.

Fira laughed. "Thanks Merlin, but I think I'll spend some time outside. I need some time to think by myself, you know?"

"I'll see you later. And don't worry, I'll cover with Gaius for you if he asks!"

With that, Fira was left with the grey cat and she watched the knights training. The way they handled themselves took her breath away. An upper cut here, a thrust there. It was almost like a dance. She'd never had much use with swords; druids were a peacefully people.

Suddenly an overwhelming feeling of loneliness swept over her. The knights were like a family. But Fira had no family. She'd never met her parents, and druids aren't exactly known for their expert parenting skills. Often she'd felt an emptiness, a longing for something.

"I wish I had a family, Nada."

The cat rubbed up against her chin, giving her a few quiet mews while doing so.

"Yes, yes, you're right. It was my destiny not to have a family. But still, sometimes it makes me so sad..."

Softly she began singing, turning her back sideways to the field and sitting on a small wooden bench.

She didn't realize that by the end of the song the knights, hearing her singing, had moved closer towards her.

"She's really good," Elyan commented.

"Yeah. She's really good," Percival said. He and Elyan had just finished a match.

"She sounds so sad," Gwaine joined them. Training was over and he was wiping his face with a towel.

"Is she singing to the cat," Percival wondered aloud.

"I suppose so," Leon was there now, "She certainly is an interesting girl."

The wind blew her hair and for a moment Elyan though he saw tears, "Is she crying?"

Gwaine squinted, "Why would she be crying?"

"I've no idea," Leon murmured.

"Maybe we should go find Gwen. She'd probably be better at talking to her than us," Percival suggested.

"Yeah. But I feel bad leaving her here by herself. Even if the cat is there," Elyan protested.

"Why don't you go talk with her? We'll wait in the armory for you and if she won't talk to you, we'll go find the queen." Leon told the knight.

"Alright."

Fira's face was tear stained. She wasn't out right sobbing, but her eyes were tearing. She wiped them off as she heard a pair of footsteps.

"Fira, are you all right," Elyan started, coming round and sitting on the bench.

"What? Oh um- yeah. I'm fine," she stammered, trying to cover her wet cheeks.

"No, you're not. What's wrong?"

"It's really nothing, Elyan. I- I shouldn't be crying over something this unimportant," she tried to manage a smile but when she glanced at the knight, the memories came flooding back of how alone she was.

"Are you sure. Because if you want, you can tell me. Whatever it is. And I can try and help with it. In fact, I bet all the knights would help if you just asked."

"I just. Its- I grew up without a family. The druids became my caretakers. But I always knew I wasn't one of them. The druids aren't the ideal family, you know. So most of my life I grew up alone. The only things I know of my parents is they abandoned me when they realized I had magic.

"And. Well. Here everybody has a family. Merlin has Gaius. You have your sister. Arthur has Gwen. And of course the knights have each other," she tried to explain.

Standing up and walking forward a few paces with her back to Elyan, Fira continued, "But I have no one. Everyone's been kind to me, but I'm just intruding on the friendships that have already been laid. It was selfish of me to think I could just walk in here and start up my life.

"And I'll just end up causing trouble in the long run. Once it's made public knowledge that I'm a druid, many nobles and council members will surely cause Arthur trouble. He may have granted the Druids the right to live in Camelot so long as we obey the no magic laws, but very few people were happy about it."

Elyan sighed. He knew some of what this girl was going through.

"Fira, I'm sure you know I was born a commoner. When I became a knight very few people accepted me," he started.

Fira interrupted him, "But, with all due respect, don't you see! You had Percival and Gwaine who went through the same thing as you. And Leon supported all of you, I'm sure."

She turned at the sound of a loud meow.

"Perhaps you're right, Nada. Maybe I will find a family here," Fira scooped up the grey cat and hugged her. It was nearly dinner time.

"I'm sorry I troubled you with this, Elyan. I better be getting back to Gaius," she told him in a rush as she felt tears begin to fall once more. Fira made straight for the physician's chambers, Nada in her arms.

Elyan stared after her. She was right; he'd had companions with him. People who would stick up for him through thick and thin. She felt alone and hurt, and violated, and that deadly combination can lead to bitterness and hate. Hate was what turned Morgana into such an evil person. Standing, Elyan made his way as quickly as possible to the armory.


	6. Discoveries

The knights were still in the armory as planned when Elyan arrived.

"Did you find out what's wrong?" Gwaine asked him, jumping down from his seat on a barrel.

"Yeah, I got her to talk," Elyan replied, still a bit lost in thought.

"Well?"

"She's lonely. All her life she's been alone. She grew up with druids, but never truly was one. Her parents abandoned her when she was born because she had magic. When she got here, she realized that everyone has family. Merlin has Gaius, Arthur has Gwen, we have each other," he elaborated.

"She also feels guilty for being a druid. She doesn't want to cause Arthur any trouble. And on top of all that, Fira said she feels selfish for coming to Camelot and pretending to set up a life for herself. She says she's intruding on the friendships that already exist."

"Fira feels guilty for trying to start a new life for herself," Percival repeated in an exasperated tone.

"She's right though, you know. About us all having family. Poor girl probably thinks she's intruding on us," Gwaine commented seriously.

"And think about it. Not only is she much younger than us, but we're all men, which is even harder after what those bandits did. She's only got Gwen to talk to, and when we go on patrol and all, Fira won't even have her," Elyan added.

Percival put down the sword he was sharpening. "We need to do something about this."

"It's not going to be easy, though," Leon mused, "Now that we're back in Camelot, we have our jobs. She will have hers of course, but those won't keep her busy enough."

"What do you suggest then?" Elyan asked.

"I'm not sure. But somehow we need to show her that she's a part of this group now."

"Gwaine, why are you smirking like that?" Percival shoved his friend.

"I'll tell you later. I've got to go find Merlin," he said, dashing out of the room.

"Well let's hope Gwaine has a plan that works." snorted Leon.

Gwaine was still smiling to himself as he navigated the corridors.

"Have you seen Merlin?" he asked a passing serving boy.

"Last time I saw him he was heading to muck out the stables, sir."

"Thanks."

And so Gwaine found Merlin just finishing the cleanup of the stables.

"Merlin! Wait a sec!"

"What's up, Gwaine," Merlin asked, putting the rake away and closing the door.

Gwaine grabbed Merlin and pulled him into an empty side street that led to a dead end.

"It's about Fira," he started.

"What's wrong,' Merlin asked, voice panicky.

Gwaine told Merlin about what Elyan had reported.

"I take it you have a plan," Merlin crossed his arms.

"'Course I do. I want the knights, most likely me and Percival, to take turns training her with a sword," he explained excitedly.

"Riiiight. Where do I come in?"

"I need you to convince her to do it. I was thinking that since she'd probably be nervous about doing it in front of everyone that we could do it at night!"

"Why do you think she'll listen to me? Why not Gwen?"

"Well, she can relate to you since you have magic." Gwaine lowered his voice.

Merlin stared at Gwaine. He opened his mouth and closed it. Then opened it again. "How... How long have you known?!"

"Relax, I haven't told anyone. I'd long had suspicions about it, but when we went looking for Gaius and I was fighting that thug I finally confirmed it," Gwaine chuckled, "So, you're a sorcerer, mate."

"Warlock, actually. I was born with magic. According to the druids, I'm the most powerful warlock ever to live. But I'll tell you about that some other time," Merlin whispered.

Gwaine laughed and gave Merlin a pat on the back.

"Well, will you talk to Fira?"

"Of course I will."

"Great. Tell her to meet me in the training grounds at 10:00," Gwaine told him before he rushed off to find Percival.

When Merlin found Fira she was sitting in the antechamber on the windowsill. She wasn't crying, just looking out over Camelot. Nada lay down asleep next to her in the waning sunlight.

"Fira," Merlin said.

"Oh. Hi Merlin," she turned towards him.

"Gwaine was talking to me earlier. He wants to get you acquainted with a sword. He was really hoping you'd be willing to train with him," he started, walking in and sitting on the bed.

"Oh, I don't know. I'd be so nervous in front of the knights. It's different here, Merlin, than in the forest. Here there are so many people watching, judging how I act. Judging how the knights act. I could never put them in a situation where they might be seen as doing something below their standings- like teaching me to use a sword," she protested.

"Ah! Gwaine knew you'd say that," Merlin laughed, "That's why he wants to do it at night! No one but the guards would be there. No townsfolk to judge you or him! He said to meet him in the training grounds at 10 o'clock."

"Well...," she hesitated, "I suppose I can give it a try."

Gwaine caught up with Percival soon enough.

"Hey Perce! Wait up a second!"

"You look happy, Gwaine. I take it you found Merlin?"

"Yeah I did. He's gone to talk to Fira. Here's my plan," Gwaine outlined his idea for including Fira.

"Sure, I'll be there tonight."

"Good, good! 10 o'clock then," Gwaine grinned, "Until then I'm gonna go find a sword for her. See you there."

Fira begged Merlin to come along with her to the training grounds that night. She said she wasn't sure what had her so nervous, but she was. She had changed out of her dress into a tunic and leggings, and wore a basic cloth cape.

"Thanks for coming, Merlin."

"No problem. I'm happy to help. Your part of the family now, you know."

"Maybe..."

They turned a corner and arrived out on the field. Gwaine and Percival were sitting on some empty crates, a few torches in hand.

"Ah! Glad you came, Fira!" Gwaine called.

"Thanks for offering," she smiled.

"Gwaine and I found a good spot. Not sure what it used to be for, but there's a medium sized alcove back here," Percival waved them over to follow him.

"This is perfect guys," Merlin said as he rounded the corner.

The area was about 20x30 feet of grass surrounded by the castle walls on three sides. There was no roof, and torch holders lined the walls. There was room for 4 torches on each side, and soon the area was well-lit. Some crates in the far back left corner also provided seating for whoever wouldn't be practicing.

"So, what do you know about sword fighting?" Gwaine asked. Percival and Merlin were chatting from the crates.

"Well... I know that I'm pretty much doomed if I have to fight. I mean, I can block once or twice but then I'm helpless," Fira sighed.

"Well hey, everybody has to start somewhere right," he grinned, "and here," Gwaine pulled out two small swords and handed them to Fira.

"I think we should focus on speed, not strength," Gwaine mused, "and maybe we can find a way to incorporate your magic into a fight. What do you think, Percival?"

"Sounds right to me. You can learn to use your small size to your advantage, you know. You're going to be faster than larger enemies, and once you learn to incorporate that knowledge into your fighting style it'll be much easier," Percival commented.

"First things first. Footwork," Gwaine told Fira.

And so they worked for a few hours. Sometimes Merlin would step in for Gwaine so he could watch Fira's form. Percival even started giving Merlin pointers.

She had mastered the basic footwork by the end, but Merlin was still able to beat her.

"Fira, when Merlin goes in for a thrust, parry to either side and go in for a horizontal slash," Gwaine told her. He and Percival stood on either side, watching the two less experienced fighters trade blows.

Merlin brought his two-handed sword up to push her down, but at the last moment Fira figured out a counter-strategy.

As soon as his blade touched hers, Fira spun right. The sudden lack of pressure threw Merlin momentarily off balance. She kicked out, knocking Merlin to the ground. Putting one of her blunt swords to his chest she was beaming from ear to ear.

"I did it!" she breathed. Holding out her hand, she helped Merlin back up.

"Great job!" he smiled.

When she turned towards Percival and Gwaine, Fira saw that both had huge smiles on their faces. Gwaine walked forward and pulled her into a hug. Percival ruffled her hair.

She felt tears in her eyes. But this time it wasn't from sadness. This time they were tears of joy. Tears of hopefulness.

Maybe she had finally found her family.

"Thank you guys so much," she thanked them.

"Hey, what's family for?" Percival winked at her.

"Yeah. You're one of us now, Fira. You hear that. You're not alone anymore. Leon, Elyan, they agree too. They'd have been here but they have something to do early tomorrow so they couldn't be out late," Gwaine explained as the group made their way back inside.

"But," Fira hesitated, "But don't you find it annoying to have some inexperienced girl hanging around?"

Gwaine and Percival exchanged grins.

"Are you kiding! You'll liven things up a bit!" Percival reassured him, "And besides, someone needs to keep Gwaine entertained so he doesn't retell the same stories over and over again!"

"Yeah! Now someone else can take over for Gwaine's chatter!" Merlin smiled.

Fira smiled as they walked down a hallway.

"We better get some sleep. Maybe we'll see you tomorrow?" Percival said when they came to a split in the passageway. Gwaine patted her and Merlin on the back.

"I hope so. Good night!" Fira waved as she and Merlin continued on their way.

Stepping inside Gaius' chambers, Merlin and Fira weren't surprised to find Gaius still awake.

"How did it go?" he asked.

Fira grinned, "It went wonderfully, Gaius. It was excellent!"

Just then Nada came trotting in, pushing the door open with her head. She gave a few short meows.

"Good! I'm glad you enjoyed yourself as well, Nada," Fira giggled.

"Fira, I think I know where we can find out why you can speak to animals," Merlin told her.

"And before you head to bed, I need to check you over," Gaius insisted.

"Fira, you can have Gaius check you over while I look into your animal communication," Merlin offered.

She agreed and went into the backroom to change into a loose shirt and shorts. She tied back her hair with a ribbon before heading back out to the main room. Lying down on the bed, she allowed Gaius to lift her shirt past her stomach and feel around the injury.

Merlin had gotten down a few books from Gaius' shelves. There were large and small ones. One book had a cover that read "The Diversity of Magic." He flipped to the table of contents and scanned it quickly.

"Here's something!" he said excitedly, turning to a page in the book towards the end. He read it aloud.

"Maiden of the Animals: There are some individuals who have been observed with the rare ability to understand the speech of animals. Not only this, but it is rumored that they are able to command animals, except reptiles. These people have always been female, though it is unknown if this is merely coincidence. This is seen in a similar fashion by the Dragonlords. The difference is that dragons are inherently magical, while animals are not. It is suspected, though not confirmed, that this power is passed down in families. However because of the rarity of the gift it is highly speculative. Note: see the entry Wolf."

Gaius meanwhile was inspecting the wound. He was concerned with how much physical activity Fira had been doing, thinking it might aggravate the wound. Though it looked better than yesterday, he had hoped it would look better.

Merlin turned to the entry "Wolf" and scanned it. He nodded and then read some more of the book aloud.

"The animal is also rumored to have a connection to a being known as a Maiden of the Animals. Some experts suspect that a few wolves have inherent magical abilities, which would account for how quickly some can travel across the country side. Stories about farmers seeing identical wolves far apart and in the same hour have fueled these beliefs.

Note: see entry Maiden of the Animals"

"So, you think that's what I am? It would explain some things," Fira mused.

Gaius looked up, "Enough about that right now. Fira, you need to stay away from physical activity tomorrow. You need to heal. If it wasn't for Merlin's magic I'm afraid you wouldn't even be alive right now."

"Sorry, Gaius," she muttered.

"What would it explain," Merlin ignored Gaius' interruption.

"Oh, nothing. Just that when I was with the druids many years ago, a unicorn appeared and walked up to me. It let me pet it. I've always been curious why."

"A unicorn? Don't tell Arthur," he laughed.

"Why not?"

"A few years ago Arthur killed a unicorn while hunting. Let's just say that he regretted it," Merlin sat down, a wistful grin on his face as he remembered earlier times.

Fira stared at Merlin with disbelief before chuckling, "Arthur killed a unicorn?"

They spent the next half hour in easy conversation before retiring to their beds for the night.

"Goodnight, Merlin."

"'Night, Fira."

"Oh, Fira," Merlin added before blowing out a candle, "Arthur gave me the morning off to take you out to meet up with a traveling horse salesman tomorrow. He comes by every few months and was due to arrive tonight. We need to get you a suitable steed."

"Alright. I'll be ready bright and early," she nodded enthusiastically.


	7. A Horse of Course

The sun was just peeping above the castle walls as Fira rolled herself out of bed. It was a brand new day.

Sorting through the dresses that Gwen had bought or found for her, Fira chose a forest green dress with a large black belt. She slipped out of her night gown and into the dress quickly before pulling on some comfortable green slippers and combing her hair.

Merlin came in then, yawning as he grabbed an apple and took a bite. Then he swiped a roll.

"Toss me one, will you?" Fira asked.

Merlin tossed her some bread.

They ate in relative silence for a few minutes, each content in their own thoughts. Merlin decided that was one thing, of many, that he liked about her; Fira never found it awkward to sit in silence, just thinking.

Soon enough, however, they both finished the small breakfast and cleared the table.

"Right. How about we go get you that horse?" Merlin grinned, grabbing the pouch of money Arthur had given him to spend on the new steed.

"Yes! Let's go!" beamed Fira, swinging the door to the castle open.

Merlin led the way down the busy passages and hallways with ease. It seemed to Fira that everyone knew Merlin; she counted at least 15 people who all greeted him before they reached the outside doors.

"Hello Merlin!" a relatively young knight smiled as the two warlocks walked down the steps into the courtyard.

"Good morning, Galahad!" Merlin waved as they continued on.

A few minutes later there came another greeting, "Ey! Merlin! Next time you see Gaius would you tell 'im that Sara needs some more of that cough medicine he gave her?" a short broad fellow requested from within the doorframe of a house that bordered the street.

"Course I will, Bates! Tell little Sara that I hope she feels better!"

By now they had reached the edge of the Lower Town and were almost out of the city of Camelot.

"Mr. Ramsey is with the horses near the entrance," explained Merlin as they drew near the drawbridge.

"I'm so excited! I've always wanted a horse, you know. The druids have little need of them though since they desire secrecy above most things," she explained as they walked outside the city.

"Arthur figured you'd like to pick out one of your own, and I convinced him to let you pick from outside the Royal Stables," he told her as they rounded a corner, "Ah, here we are!"

A large tent had been set up in a field of green grass. Four or five carts were parked around it. Saddles, bridles, and various equipment were being sold from tables. People mulled around, gazing at the wares. Merlin led her towards the tent and they walked inside.

Fira gasped at she saw the horses then: black, chestnut, paint, roan; they were all munching grass and swatting away flies.

"Hello Merlin!" a tall, strong man called from one end of the tent.

"Hi Mr. Ramsey, good to see you." Merlin grinned and made his way over to the man.

"So, what brings you," he looked at Fira, "and such a pretty young woman here today?"

"King Arthur needs me to purchase a horse for Fira, here," Merlin explained.

"Ah! Take your time looking around. I've got some particularly good horses this trip. Now, if you'll excuse me, customers await," Mr. Ramsey winked and walked over to a well-dressed couple who had just entered the tent.

"Right, go ahead and have a look around. I've got some shopping to do outside for Arthur, but I'll come back in ten or fifteen minutes to check up on your progress," Merlin told Fira.

Fira grinned and looked around, "Alright, I'll just be in here."

She weaved around the horses. They were all gorgeous. Each time she paused next to one it immediately stopped its grazing and raised its head to look at her.

A black and white Paint caught her eye.

"Hello there, gorgeous," she whispered, petting its flank. The horse whinnied in response.

"I think she likes you," an amused voice said from behind her, causing Fira to whip around.

A boy who looked around her own age stood there, leaning on a pitchfork.

"I'm Derek, Mr. Ramsey's assistant. Though I mostly just help out with the horses," he introduced himself and walked over to her.

"I'm Fira," she shook his proffered hand.

"Like I said, I think this beautiful mare likes you," he chuckled when said horse nibbled her hair.

She laughed, and pushed the big muzzle aside. "Perhaps, but I'm not sure she's the right one."

Derek smiled, "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Have you got any palominos?" she asked him as they walked around the other horses.

"Yes, we have a stallion around back. He's never been good with crowds and is rather feisty," Derek shot her a slight frown.

Still, she brightened at the news, "Can we go see him?"

"Well," he hesitated, "Sure. I don't see why not. But be careful."

After Derek leaned his rake against a wooden beam the two of them exited the tent and went around the outside. Derek was telling Fira about a stop they made in Mercia and the hilarity that ensued, but then broke off when they reached the stallion.

Fira gaped at the horse, her feet rooted in place a good ten feet from the wooden pen that held him. The light colored horse sniffed warily at Derek as he approached the fence and then beckoned to Fira.

"Here he is," Derek motioned to the large horse.

"Oh, he's simply beautiful," she breathed, eyes wide in admiration of the fine beast.

"Aye, that he is," sighed Derek, "Trouble with this guy is his temperament. Few people want a horse who doesn't like company."

Fira moved slowly forward towards the palomino stallion. Though at first he eyed her with suspicion, he calmed down when she spoke.

"Hello there. Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. Can I pet you?"

Reaching out, Fira touched the horse on his flank. Derek watched in surprise as the stallion instantly became calm and stopped fidgeting.

"Well, well, well!" he said in surprise, "This guy seems to like you too!"

"He's so gorgeous," she dragged her gaze from the horse to the boy, "How much is he?"

"Well, I'd say 100 gold, but we could probably go as low as 75," Derek calculated mentally.

"Could I lead him out front so I can meet up with my friend Merlin?" she requested.

"Of course. Let me go grab a halter," Derek jogged away.

Fira stood where she was, petting the stallion until he came back with a basic black lead.

"I'm not sure how easy he will take this," he warned her. It surprised him greatly when the palomino put up very little resistence.

"Usually he does all he can to keep from having his bridle put on," Derek commented, handing the lead rope to Fira.

They made their way back towards the entrance and arrived in no time. Merlin was just making his way out when he saw them.

"Ah, there you are Fira," Merlin grinned. "Find your horse?"

"I think so," she grinned, "Oh, and Merlin, this is Derek. He's Mr Ramsey's assistant."

"Hello, Derek," Merlin nodded brightly to the young man.

"Nice to meet you. Let me tell you about this horse first, so you know what the two of you are getting in to," Derek warned Merlin about the palomino's temperment and bad habbits.

"Nevertheless, if you want this horse, he's yours. Id say 80 gold would be a fair deal."

Merlin looked at Fira. She nodddd at him enthusiastically.

"Sounds fair," he smiled back at Derek.

They worked out the money and soon she was bidding Derek goodbye.

"Thank you for the help, Derek!"

"No trouble at all. Hope you and that horse are good for each other," he smirked, "We'll be passing through Camelot in a few months. Mind if I check up on him, and you, then?"

"I'm looking forward to it!"

With that, she and Merlin trekked back up into the castle and made their way to the Royal Stables.


	8. With the Animals

"Have you picked out a name for him, Fira," Merlin asked as they approached the stables.

"Aland. Bright as the Sun. I think it fits him," Fira grinned.

"I like it. Oh, Arthur said to put your new horse in next to Gwaine's. There should be an empty stall."

"Alright, sounds good. Would you take Aland for me while I go fill up a bucket of water?"

Merlin grabbed at the lead, only to have Aland stamp a few times angrily. His nostrils flared as he snorted, eyes wide. He backed up and began rearing his head away from him.

"Whoa, it's okay Aland," Fira said putting her hand on the horse's neck. Instantly he calmed, moving his head to nuzzle hers.

"Right," Fira turned to Merlin, "How about you go get the water while I lead Aland on?"

"Sounds good to me," he chuckled before grabbing a spare pail and walking off.

Fira opened the door into the Royal Stables. It wasn't huge, but there was plenty of room to maneuver- four horses could walk abreast down the center aisles without trouble. It was fifteen stalls long and two stalls wide. Most of the rooms were occupied already, but down at the end there were three empty ones: one on the left, two on the right. She found the empty stall next to Gwaine's black mare just as Merlin had predicted. She took the first of the two on the right for Aland and opened the door.

"Come on, it isn't that bad," she chuckled as the horse stared at her from just outside the stall. Hesitantly he stepped inside.

She grabbed a pitchfork from along the back wall of the stables and went back inside Aland's stall. Fira poked at the few bales of hay that were inside and spread the hay out to make the dirt floor more comfortable.

As she finished the task Merlin came in carrying a bucket of water. "Here you are," he said while setting it down outside the stall gate.

"Thank you, Merlin," she lifted the heavy bucket and poured its contents into the small water trough along the left hand side.

"If there's anything else you need, just ask a servant for me. I've gotta go see to the King," Merlin made a face.

"Good luck!" laughed Fira as Merlin left the stables.

"Now. What to do with you," Fira joked, patting Aland on the head as he gave a snort.

"Now, really, Aland," she pretended to be surprised, "I'd never have guessed you were hungry. Let me go get you some food. I'll be right back."

Grinning, Fira locked the half-height stable door and walked down to the front of the stables. She had seen a large storage room that branched off the main walkway right before the first stall. Sure enough she found the room was full of oats, hay, buckets, cleaning supplies, and other horse products. Scanning quickly her eyes fell on a small wooden bucket next to the oats and she dipped it in the sack. With the full bucket in hand, Fira returned to her stall and emptied it into a second wooden trough.

"There we are!" she smiled widely as she surveyed her work. Something still seemed to be missing though.

"I'll be right back, Aland!" she told the horse as she ran back to the store room.

Spotting a hay bale, Fira grabbed it and hobbled back to Aland, struggling against its weight. Leaving it outside the door she dashed back to the room and swiped two saddle blankets. Opening the stall at last, Fira pushed with all her might and slid the hay inside. She maneuvered it into the back corner and laid the two blankets on top of it.

"Perfect. Now I have a seat!"

Aland gave a quiet whinny and shook his head up and down causing his flowing mane to shake.

She knelt up on the hay bale and looked out the window that was above it. She stuck her head out and breathed in the fresh air. It was nearly noon.

A meow sounded behind her and she spun around. She walked over to the stall door and laughed as she looked down.

"Well hello there, Nada," Fira opened the door for her small feline friend.

The cat stepped gingerly inside and sniffed Aland. The horse lowered his head and the two very different animals sniffed noses for a moment. Then Nada walked further inside and leapt up on to the hay, then onto the window ledge.

"Glad you two get along," smirked Fira, shaking her head in amusement.

"You should see her horse," Merlin told Arthur and Gwen as he brought in their lunch, "He's a palomino. Fira's quite smitten with him."

"That's great Merlin," Arthur deadpanned. "Can I have the change now?"

Merlin dropped the money bag in front of the King and laid the food out in front of Gwen.

"Well, I do think it's great. Elyan told me about how she was feeling yesterday. Maybe having a horse will cheer her up," Gwen smiled, sliding a plate over in front of her husband. He was glaring at Merlin.

"She's probably going to be taking care of it herself," Merlin added, pouring drinks for the two monarchs, "The horse, Aland, has quite a temper. Won't let anyone but Fira touch him, not without her there at least."

Groaning, Arthur muttered, "You two just had to pick the most difficult horse, didn't you."

"Well sire," Merlin smirked, "Some of us like a nice challenge. Keeps us from getting too... comfortable and slow."

Gwen put her face in her hands as she hid a smile at her husband's expense. Arthur, on the other hand, grabbed an empty goblet and threw it at the manservant.

Merlin ducked just in time, mock-bowed to the two royals, and hastily exited the room. Chuckling, he headed towards the laundry to collect the King's clothes.

"Hey Merlin!" Percival called out to the servant as he walked past.

"Hi Percival, Gwaine," he grinned as he turned to see the two knights.

"Where were you and Fira this morning at training?"

Merlin laughed, "Arthur asked me to take her to get a horse, and Gaius is worries about her health," smirking he added, "I didn't realize that all of you were so eager for her to watch again."

"She's one of us now, mate" Gwaine told him.

"Well, she's probably out talking with her horse in the stables. I was going to go bring her some lunch before getting Arthur's clothes," Merlin explained while they continued down the corridors.

"We'll help. I want to see her horse," Percival offered.

"Yeah. The Princess can get his own clothes," Gwaine added.

Five minutes later, Gwaine carried a bowl of apples, Percival had a basket of bread and cheese, and Merlin was struggling with four plates, four cups, and a pitcher of water. They walked down the steps and headed over to the stables.

Percival chuckled as Merlin tried to open the stable door before doing it himself.

"Glad you two get along," they heard Fira say.

Smiling, Merlin led the way down the hall until they reached Aland's stall. Like all the stable rooms, it was quite spacious, more than enough room for them to talk, and if it weren't for the horse, even eat in.

"Lunch!" Merlin popped his around into view, Gwaine and Percival following.

"Aw you shouldn't have!"

Immediately Aland gave a snort and moved to stand in front of Fira, while Nada sprung up, walked forward, and arched her back at the three men.

"Aland, Nada, please," Fira gave an exasperated sigh, "I am perfectly capable of protecting myself from these guys."

After a few seconds the two animals backed away, but still eyed Merlin, Gwaine, and Percival warily.

"I'll be back later, you two," she told them, opening the stall door. Nada gave a few short mews of protest.

"Alright, alright. You can come too."

Nada trotted out the door, and walked in a circle around Merlin and the Knights before returning to Fira's side.

"I'm sorry about that," she apologized when she noticed the various looks of surprise from her human companions.

Gwaine burst out laughing, "I like these two!"

At that they started out the door. Fira carried the extra blanket she'd found. Merlin led the way, veering off towards a wide, shallow set of stairs. Seven short steps led to very wide patio of sorts that was relatively unused.

They set up lunch on this open cobble stone square. In contrast to the men, Fira merely took an apple, a slice of bread, and a slice of cheese (the boys piled their plates high). Pouring herself a glass of water she humorously watched them all but inhale their food.

"What?" Percival asked a minute later, noticing her grin as she watched them. The others paused as they too realized she was laughing at them.

"Why do men eat so fast?" she asked them.

"Wha' do yah mean?" Gwaine replied as he looked from her plate to theirs.

Fira was laughing even harder now, "You three practically inhaled your food!"

"Did not!" Merlin insisted.

This time it was the cat who replied, giving a few loud meows as she sat next to Fira.

"That's right, Nada," chuckled Fira, giving the grey feline a pat.

"What'd she say?" Merlin asked curiously, though he had a feeling the answer would be less than complimentary.

"Oh uh well," Fira stuttered, blushing.

"What?!" Gwaine insisted. Percival nodded.

"She -uh- Well, she said 'Guys are always so pigheaded and have no manners'."

"I do believe we we're just insulted. By a cat." Gwaine finally said.


	9. No Promises

The four friends had a good laugh at this before finishing lunch. When they had all finished eating, they talked of various matters.

"So, you can talk to animals." Gwaine finally ventured.

"Yes, I can. I understand their speech and somehow they understand mine. Aland and Nada both seem to have especially keen senses when it comes to communicating with me," Fira took a sip of her water, "From what I can tell, all animals can communicate with me, but there are some, like Nada here, whose abilities are much more advanced. Much more focused. Thus they can speak to me very easily."

Merlin suddenly leapt up. "Oh shoot! I've got to run and grab Arthur's clothes before he gets even angrier with me. I'm sorry!"

They bid him goodbye before returning to the topic of Fira's power.

"It seemed like Aland and Nada were trying to protect you," Percival stated, though Fira knew it was a question.

"I'm not entirely sure why, but certain animals I've come across do that. It's nothing I ask them to do, they seem to do it instinctively."

"Do they obey everything you ask?"

She nodded, "According to something I heard once, I'm the last of my kind."

"Your kind?" Gwaine repeated curiously.

"I'm a Maiden of Animals. It's not really a race. It's," she grasped for the right words, "it's kind of like a type of magic. It's passed from mother to daughter, but the abilities do not manifest themselves until the death of the mother."

"That's really intriguing," Percival commented.

Just then Leon walked up the steps and onto the terrace.

"Merlin told me I'd find you here," he stated, walking over.

"And here we are!" smirked Gwaine.

"Indeed. I'm sorry to break up this little lunch but Arthur wants to speak to all of us, including you Fira, as soon as possible," he smiled as Fira's face went from excitement to fear to curiosity.

"Hector! Clear this up will you?" Leon called to a passing servant boy.

"Of course, sir."

"Right. Then let's go. Merlin and Elyan are probably waiting for us already."

As they left, Fira giggled as Nada followed her through the castle.

Leon knocked once before opening the door to a chamber containing a round table. Unlike the original, this was carved from wood, but the same number of seats sat around it. Just as Leon had predicted, Arthur, Gwen, Merlin, and Elyan sat waiting.

"There you are. Take a seat please," Arthur told them, his face troubled.

As they each took their seats, Fira hesitated momentarily before Gwen told her she could sit in Lancelot's former place. She did so quickly, casting the queen a grateful glance. Nada lept up onto her lap and Fira blushed slightly at the amused faces of her comrades.

"I've just received some troubling reports from the town of Devonshire. The townsfolk claim that something is attacking them at night. It kills when its victim is asleep," he explained, "They naturally requested aid from us and I cannot turn it down. The trouble is that tomorrow dignitaries from multiple kingdoms are arriving and I can't leave Camelot. Therefore I'm sending you four plus Fira out to investigate. You leave at first light."

As Arthur stood the rest did also and took their leave. Merlin, Fira, and the knights all happened to be walking the same way so the two warlocks had to converse telepathically.

_"I must stay here in Camelot, Fira. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to change that."_

_"I know Merlin. It is your job to protect the Once and Future King. I will look after the knights."_

_"Seems Kilgharrah was right when he said that without you I would not be able to protect the knights and Arthur. You must be careful."_

_"I will. Though they know of my magic I will try to use it sparingly. It would be best to keep Morgana in the dark concerning my abilities."_

_"If it is something you cannot or do not know how to fight, you must contact me."_

_"Emrys. Emrys. Am I not Nyx? A Maiden of the Animals? I will send word to you one way or another my friend."_

_"Alright. Be careful."_

The company walked in silence, each occupied by his or her own thoughts. Until a very loud meow startled all of them and they turned around, only to find a grey cat licking her paw and staring at them with wide green eyes.

"Nada! I promise to explain later. For now just go back to Gaius' chambers please," Fira whispered, crouching down in front of the cat.

With a flick of her tail Nada pranced down a side passage and disappeared from view.

"Sorry," she muttered as all eyes were on her.

"What'd she ask?" Merlin chuckled as the group walked on again.

"She complained that no one was explaining what was going on and that she wanted to be included in on the plans," Fira explained.

"I really like that cat," Gwaine grinned, "She's got attitude!"

"I've got to admit that she certainly is one of the strangest animals I've met in Camelot," Leon chuckled.

"What'd you tell her to do?" Elyan asked curiously.

"I told her to go back to Gaius'."

They reached a large open hall and said their goodbyes as each went his or her separate ways. Fira and Elyan both headed toward the stables.

"Elyan, could you show me which tack I can pick from for Aland?" she asked as they crossed the grassy square between the castle and the stables.

"Sure, Fira," Elyan smiled as he pulled open the stable doors and let Fira in first. He turned right into the storage room and led her over to a wall of bridles.

"These over here," he pointed to a group of bridles, "haven't been claimed yet. You can pick from those. As for a saddle," he opened a door on the adjacent wall and the two of them walked into a small room filled floor to ceiling with saddles.

"These right here are available," Elyan showed her.

"Thanks Elyan."

"No problem. I've got to tend to my own horse. I suggest you turn in early tonight. We leave at dawn."

She nodded and Elyan left the room to feed his own horse. Usually the stable hands took care of the horses but Elyan liked to do his own.

After looking at the available saddles, Fira decided on a small, basic black one and a matching saddle pad. Next she went to the bridles. There she found a black and red one that look light enough not to cause Aland too much trouble but strong enough that she would be able to use it during a fight.

Carrying her supplies down to Aland's stall, Fira tacked him up so that she could get everything snug before riding out tomorrow. She attached a lead to the halted and walked Aland out of the stables and around the back. Once behind the building she pulled herself up and put him through his paces.

Aland was a natural. He responded quickly to the slightest command. Sometimes she didn't even need to use the reins; the two of them were that in tune with one another. Fira had been right. Aland was the horse she was meant to ride. They complemented one another in ways few riders could ever achieve after years of working with their horses. Of course, Fira did have one distinct advantage: she could talk to Aland.

Once she was happy with the tack she dismounted and, leading him back into his stall, wiped him down before leaving.

When she stepped inside the door to the physicians chambers she grinned at the sight of a fresh salad waiting for her.

"Thank you Gaius!" she smiled.

"No problem, my dear. Merlin told me about the mission tomorrow. I'd have been at the meeting but a child in the Lower Town has been rather sick lately and I was needed," the old man replied, mixing a potion of some sort.

"Yes, I leave at first light," she commented while eating her dinner.

"I want you to take along this," Gaius brought over a small brown bag. Looking inside Fira saw it was filled with potions, poultices, and various other medical supplies.

"Oh, that's perfect. Thank you!"

He laughed but grew somber once more. "Promise me you'll be careful? Devonshire lies right outside the perilous Forest of Balor at the foot of the Mountains of Isgaard. And you aren't fully healed."

"I can't. I will make no promises Gaius that I'm not sure I can keep."

He surveyed her grim but determined face before slowly nodding.

After dinner Fira decided to turn in. She had only a few hours' sleep the night before and she needed to be up early.


	10. Ominous Messages

It was still dark when Fira awoke, and she pulled on a white tunic and black pants. While she was tightening her boots, Merlin walked in looking sleepy.

"Hey, thought you might want to go check out the armory before you leave," he whispered.

"Good idea," she smiled.

They each grabbed some food on the way out and Merlin led her to the armory. Opening the door, Fira stared in awe at the beautiful weapons around her. There were crossbows, swords, shields, maces, and more.

Merlin walked over to a corner and took out a bundle of cloth.

"Elyan had these made for you after Gwaine told him about the two small ones you use in practice," he explained, unwrapping the cloth to reveal two beautiful swords.

She took the blades, complete with belt hooks, and attached them to her belt.

"We should get you a dagger," Merlin murmured while surveying a row of small blades.

"Ah! Here's a good one. Basic, but effective," he handed it to Fira. She slid it inside her boot, a hook attaching to the top of her shoe.

"There we are. Oh, I almost forgot! Leon had this made," Merlin reached inside a drawer and pulled out a black cloak, complete with the Pendragon crest in silver on the shoulder.

"Oh it's gorgeous," she breathed, taking the cloak from Merlin. She fastened it on herself and it fit perfectly.

"Now you're ready," he grinned, "Let's go get Aland tacked up. When I got home last night I saw you were asleep and took the liberty of packing your bags."

"Oh Merlin, thank you so much. You've been so helpful," she smiled at him as they crossed the courtyard on the way to the stables.

"It's no problem, really."

As they entered the Royal Stables, Fira saw that the knights were there too. After saying good morning and thanking Elyan and Leon, she all but skipped down to Aland.

"Good morning Aland," she said happily, reaching up and giving the horse a hug. He whinnied in response.

"Yes, yes, I know. But you need to be patient. Let's get you tacked up," she patted him on the nose and started fitting the saddle on.

Another few minutes and she was done. Aland stamped in expectation as she hooked the lead onto his halter and led him outside. Leon was talking to Arthur while the others were mounting their horses. A little grey cat trotted over in front of Fira.

"I'll be back soon, Nada. Look after Merlin," she pet the feline on the head and the cat ran off with a meow.

"Cwide ond wite," she whispered, her eyes flashing gold. With that, Fira pulled herself up into the saddle and Aland tossed his head with impatience.

At last Arthur bid them god speed and Leon mounted his horse. Merlin waved good luck and telepathically contacted Fira.

"There is something dangerous going on in Devonshire. I can feel it. You need to put a stop to it."

"I will. Don't worry Emrys."

"Let's be off!" Leon commanded and they sped their horses down the cobblestone path and out of Camelot.

They let their horses walk for a while around 9:00. They needed a rest from the hard galloping of the morning.

"Fira, do you have any interesting stories?" Gwaine prompted, eager for conversation.

"Interesting stories? Let me think," she paused, "There's the time when I first realized just how powerful my magic is."

"This sounds good," Leon chuckled.

"I was 8 at the time. My druid camp stopped near a small river that led to a short waterfall. Some of the adults took us children down to play in the water. I've always loved the water. Reyla and Ryder, twin sister and brother, were splashing around. I think they were five at the time.

"Anyways, they were getting bored after a mere twenty minutes and the adults asked me to entertain them. I stared at the water and all of a sudden a giant water bird grew out of the pool. I hadn't even uttered a spell, merely looked at the water. Needless to say it kept the twins busy and the adults too. They were trying to figure out how I managed it."

Elyan smiled, "Gave them quite a puzzle I suppose."

"Yes, I certainly did!"

Percival was about to say something when Fira interrupted.

"Wait," she told them seriously. Her eyes scanned the rock formations around them.

The knights looked at her in confusion but Leon signaled for them to halt. They watched Fira with interest as she went from happy-go-lucky teenager to solemn and serious. She seemed to block them out and was entirely focused.

Fira leaned down and whispered to Aland. He shook his head up and down with a snort. She dismounted and crept forward, Aland following her obediently.

Suddenly a few wolves came stalking out from behind a particularly large rock formation. The knights drew their swords and leapt off their horses and ran towards Fira.

"Halt. What are you doing? These knights mean you no harm. Go find other prey," Fira commanded the wolves. They immediately stopped their advance and their ears flicked.

"That's better," she smiled.

One of the wolves, a large white one, approached her with his head bowed. He stared with large intense golden eyes at Fira. Just- stood there staring for a minute. There was absolute silence as the knights stood watching the silent, unblinking pair before them: a girl and a wolf.

"I see. And you fear this is only the beginning?" Fira looked troubled as she crouched in front of the wolf.

Another short pause.

"Thank you Neve," Fira inclined her head slightly. To the knights' surprise, the wolf mirrored the gesture.

She turned, troubled, to the knights. The wolf pack bowed to Fira before running off.

"What was that all about?" Leon started.

"It appears there may be more going on than just a single troubled village. Neve told me that many wolves have noticed a growing shadow in the forests. He couldn't tell what exactly it was, only that the trees themselves feel darker."

"I suggest we get a move on to Devonshire," Elyan told them, "Maybe there are answers there?"

They mounted silently and rode on. For hours they rode, and Fira took the rear. Gwaine and Percival both tried to get her to speak but she sat there, sometimes whispering to Aland. Most of the time she was surveying the surrounding terrain with a wary eye, almost unaware of the knights, presence.

After dusk they reached the edge of a pine forest and decided to make camp for the night. They dismounted and got to work setting out the blankets.

Fira lingered back, standing next to Aland. Something was wrong.

"Neve was right. The forest- it seems dark."

"It is night," Gwaine joked, eliciting chuckles from the knights.

Fira rolled her eyes, irritated at the knights' lack of seriousness. She strode forward into the trees and started collecting firewood.

When she came back, the knights had finished their unpacking. Putting the wood into a pile for campfire, Elyan came over with a Flintstone.

"Here, let me," Fira smirked.

"Forbearnen," she said, eyes flashing gold. The campfire blazed.

"That works too," Gwaine laughed.

They set to making dinner, Fira letting the knights do it as she sat up against a rock. She was running over what Neve had told her:

"Lady Nyx, I am Neve. Fear not, we wish the Knights no harm. I come merely to deliver a message. The Woods are dark. Darker than they've been in hundreds of years. Something has awakened them. Fear them. For they possess great power when revived."

Something big was going on. Something bigger than she had anticipated. She had to get word to Merlin. Something told her that Camelot as a whole was in danger. She got up, walked into the trees away from the knights, and closed her eyes. She slowly began speaking in a strange language.

"Falcon , veña a min."

Soon the cry of a large bird was heard as a falcon swooped down and landed on a branch in front of her.

"Take a message to Merlin and Nada in Camelot. Tell him 'The Powers of the Old Religion have turned Nature itself against us. The Trees are dark.' Go now, and fly with all speed!" She told the bird as it flew into the distance, and made her way back to the campsite.

"There you are! We were getting worried!" Gwaine grinned at her.

"Sorry, I needed some time to think," she forced a smile on her lips as she accepted her dinner.

"We should reach Devonshire by lunch time tomorrow, right Leon?" Percival asked the curly haired knight.

"Yes. Or earlier. I suggest we start as early as possible when it gets light out."

"I agree," Fira commented. "We need to be through this forest as quickly as possible."

"Why are you so afraid of a bunch of trees?" Gwaine looked at her in confusion and the knights followed suite.

"It's like this," she sighed, "When someone with magic comes within close proximity of another magician, we can feel it. We can usually judge their intentions and power. Unless of course the sorcerer or sorceress is powerful enough to mask themselves. Near these trees, I can feel something. Something wrong. It's like a chill. Something that just isn't right."

The others considered this. It sounded farfetched; trees are trees. But they were hesitant to dismiss the warlock's intuition.


	11. What the Hell!

Nada watched as Lady Nyx rode off with the other four humans. She looked around curiously. After all, Nyx had just given her the ability to comprehend the speech of all animals and humans, as well as the ability to speak to the great Emrys. Cwide- that was 'Speak' and Wite- that was 'Understand'.

She guessed that the Lady had intended Nada to communicate any potential messages Nyx sent back to Camelot via animal to Merlin. And honestly, what better way to keep an eye on the goings on of the castle than by being an inconspicuous little furry creature!

She trotted around for a while, content merely to sniff around and listen to bits of gossip. She was drawing near the entrance of the Citadel when she noticed a group of knights in full dress walking outside. Naturally, Nada followed them and leapt up onto a stone to watch. Seven strange riders came trotting up the entrance to the Citadel and they were greeted by the King, Queen, and the knights.

Nada fell asleep in the warm sun.

Merlin stood behind the King, head bowed. The dignitaries from Essetir were arriving.

"My Lord, I am Lord Tybalt, Seneschal of the King of Essetir," said a tall, young man. He dismounted and bowed to Arthur.

"Welcome to Camelot, Lord Tybalt. This is Queen Guinevere," Arthur replied, stepping down a few steps and shaking the lord's hand.

"My Lady," he bowed to the Queen.

A woman dismounted behind Tybalt and he turned towards her, "Let me introduce my sister, the Lady Emelyn."

"My Lord, my Lady," she curtsied.

"Welcome Lady Emelyn. And your knights?" Arthur asked.

"This is Sir Dederick, Sir Rolfe, and Sir Warren," Tybalt introduced the knights who now also dismounted and bowed.

"My manservant and the Lady Emelyn's maidservant, Terrin and Yda, are here as well."

"I'll have my servants look after your horses. I'm sure you're tired from the journey," Arthur asked, beckoning for the Lord and his company to follow.

Merlin waited until the royals had passed before turning to the two servants.

"I'm Merlin, the King's manservant," he grinned, looking the boy and the girl up and down. They were relatively young, probably 15 and 12 respectively.

"I'm Terrin, and this is my younger sister Yda," he smiled back.

"Come on, I'll show you where the horses go," Merlin said before turning to another servant, "Erik, would you grab one of the horses too?"

"Gladly, Merlin," the 17 year old servant replied.

They walked the horses to a separate stable especially for visiting royalty and Merlin left Erik and the stable hands to care for them. He showed the Yda and Terrin to the Lady's and Lord's chambers before a maid named Joyce caught him and told him that the guests from Nemeth were almost here.

"The King's waiting for you, Merlin!"

He sped down the halls and arrived out front just moments before the new arrivals appeared. There were 5 this time.

"I am Lord Rychard of Nemeth, my Lord," bowed an older man. Soon three knights, Jorge, Bedrend, and Thomas were introduced along with Paten, the manservant to the Lord.

By the end of the afternoon dignitaries from another kingdom also arrived: Lady Johanna and Lord Calin with the knights Pawl, Sagard, and Feris. The maidserant was called Gabella and the manservant, Edmund.

Merlin got back to Gaius' late that night. He'd been tending to the King and Queen during the feast and was exhausted.

"Merlin, that cat's been sitting on the table for over an hour," Gaius yawned.

"Nada's certainly a strange cat," he chuckled.

_"I take offense at that, Emrys."_

Merlin was so surprised that he dropped the empty glass bottle he was holding, causing it to crack into hundreds of shards.

"What in Albion's name is wrong with you?" Gaius jumped.

"The cat. Just. Spoke to me. Called me Emrys," Merlin stammered.

"Well. You and your cat go talk in the other room. I'm going to get some sleep," Gaius told him, yawning and heading to his bed after cleaning the mess.

Merlin nodded and went into the back room, closing the door once Nada came through. The window was open and he lit no light other than a single candle on the far side of the room.

"How come you can talk to me now, Nada?"

"Lady Nyx cast a speech and comprehension spell on me before she left Camelot."

"Can you speak to anyone?"

"No, only to you, Emrys. I can understand all speech, both animal and human, though."

Merlin was about to reply when a large falcon landed on the window. He jumped backwards, nearly tripping over his boots in the process. It looked at Merlin with strangely comprehending eyes before giving a few quiet squawks.

"He says he carries a message from the Lady Nyx.'The Powers of the Old Religion have turned Nature itself against us. The Trees are dark.' Whatever that means."

The falcon bowed slightly to Merlin before taking off once again. He turned and saw Nada curling up in a corner as she fell asleep. He pondered the falcon's message.

It sounded ominous, but for some reason he was not surprised. Something was rising, he had suspected as such for a long time. The arrival of Fira was too much of a coincidence unless a new piece of the prophecies was coming true. And whenever that happened, evil always followed.


	12. Unease Among the Trees

Fira woke the next morning to see that the knights were already packing up. They'd almost finished. Surprised, Fira pulled herself into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes.

"She lives!" Gwaine joked from where he was hooking his blankets onto his saddle bad.

"Why didn't you wake me?" she asked, still rather fuzzy. The last thing she remembered was deciding to stay awake and watch over the knights. Obviously, that hadn't quite gone according to plan.

Elyan laughed as he handed her the last bits of breakfast they'd saved for her, "It's hard enough coping with a tired Gwaine. We didn't need any more irritated companions."

She grunted her thanks, taking the small plate and digging in ferociously. She was starving.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny," Fira grumbled.

"Looks like the extra hour didn't do much good," Leon grinned.

"Nope," Fira grinned evilly at the knights. She'd already finished her small breakfast and threw the plate at Percival, "Not much good at all."

She rolled up her sleeping pad made of blankets and attached the bundle to Aland's saddle. They all mounted their horses and set off along a path through the forest.

"I bet you four didn't know that you're somewhat of a legend to druid children now," Fira grinned as the horses walked.

"Really?" "Why?" "What do you mean?" "How so?"

She laughed, "All the little druid boys and girls know of how you helped King Arthur defeat the evil witch Morgana! Aside, of course, from when the Cup of Life was stolen from us. The druids still frown upon that."

"King Uther only wanted the cup to remain safe," Elyan stated.

"King Uther," she said with scorn practically dripping from her voice, "was a hypocrite and a fool. He pursued those with magic to satisfy his own guilty conscience.

"The druids had little love for Uther Pendragon. It is Arthur that we've always placed our trust in. Trusting that one day he will fulfill the ancient prophecies and unite the land of Albion as the Once and Future King."

"I've heard Merlin use that term before. What exactly are the prophecies?" Leon asked curiously, also desperate to get the subject off of Uther Pendragon.

They stared at Fira, wondering why she all of a sudden went white. Stumbling for words, she realized that the knights would expect an answer. But how could she explain without pointing a finger at Merlin?

"Well... The ancient prophecies speak of Arthur as the Once and Future King, destined to unite the Five Kingdoms and restore magic to the land," she said. They noticed her hesitate as if to continue at the end.

"And?" Percival prompted.

She stammered, blushing, "There's more to the ancient texts concerning Albion, but it... well... it's complicated. Morgana is in them, known as Le Fay. And there are others in the prophecies, too, but I will not tell you their names. I'm not sure this is the proper time for them to be revealed to you."

"All these damned prophecies. Far too complicated for my taste," Gwaine declared, eliciting a grunt of affirmation from Fira.

"How long until we exit the forest?" she asked.

Leon turned in his saddle, "We'll probably be out in another hour."

The group swapped stories as they rode, each of the knights telling Fira a story of their childhood. Eventually they reached the edge of the woods. The bright sun indicated it was around eleven o'clock and they urged their steeds into a gallop to cross the last small stretch of open ground. They would reach Devonshire right on time.

As they predicted, the Knights and Fira entered Devonshire a little before noon. It was a small village, just slightly larger than Ealdor or Nolstir. The main source of income was from the fruit trees in their orchards. Oranges, apples, pears, and other fruits could be seen in crates while the trees were only in blossom. A middle aged man hurried over from where he stood loading crates of what appeared to be jams into a cart. A young girl trailed after him, nervously chewing on her finger.

"Thank you for coming! I am Darian, and this is Joyce, my daughter. I'm the head of this village," he said hurriedly.

The party dismounted.

"I'm Sir Leon, second knight of Camelot. King Arthur expresses his regrets he could not come in person. Something came up in Camelot that could not be postponed," he turned to the others, "This is Sir Gwaine, Sir Elyan, Sir Percival, and the lady Fira."

Each bowed slightly at his or her name. Fira found her attention drawn to the young girl for some reason. She didn't have magic. But it seemed that magic lingered about her. It was strange.

"Hello there," Fira crouched down smiled as Joyce moved from behind her father to look at the knights.

"Why is a lady riding with knights of Camelot?" she demanded, trying to sound important.

"Joyce!" Darian scolded.

"No, no. It's alright," laughed Fira before addressing the girl, "I'm here because I'm the assistant physician."

"Would you come this way? We can discuss the attacks over lunch in my home," Darian offered.

The knights accepted but Fira graciously declined, "If it's alright with you, I'd prefer to have a look around the village."

Darian nodded and led the knights and little Joyce away. The girl turned to look at Fira once more before entering the door to a small house.

Fira looked around her. People were busy, but few spoke. She could tell merely by looking at them that they were scared. She spent the next half hour talking to various townsfolk about the strange murders. She didn't learn much that she wasn't already aware of; the murders took place while the victim was asleep. The only sign of a wound was a bite mark on the foot. It looked like a snake bite, but there were no poisonous snakes in Devonshire that could inflict such a deadly bite.

And so she found herself at a loss. Walking a bit outside of town, Fira drew near the tree line. Once more a chill came over her. She shivered and stared intently into the forest. There was something there- she could feel it. She closed her eyes and strained her mind, hoping to catch some sign of telepathic communication or noise. But it was silent.

Silent?

Her eyes flung open. The forest was silent. There was no sound of animal or insect. The only noise was the rustling of tree branches in the occasional windy breeze. The lack of sound only added to her suspicions. Whatever was effecting Devonshire somehow was connected to the woods. That much she was sure of. How or why was still a mystery to her.

She was so lost in thought, standing there, staring at the trees, that she didn't realize someone was behind her.

"Fira," Gwaine asked her.

She gasped and spun around to see the knight five or six feet behind her. Grabbing her chest she chuckled, "Gods, Gwaine! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry, love," he grinned lopsided at her, "didn't think it'd be that easy to sneak up on you!"

"I was thinking!" she protested, arms folded.

"About what?"

"About this," she gestured all around her, "about the murders and the trees and this whole.. Thing. But none of you get it. Not that it's your fault, but I wish..."

Gwaine walked over, and standing next to her as they surveyed the treeline, patted her on the shoulder, "Wish Merlin was here?" he asked her quietly.

Immediately she spun to face him, "How..?"

"I know about him, and he knows that I do," Gwaine explained.

"Right then," Fira scanned Gwaine's face for any sign of deception (one could never be to careful) but found none and continued, "I sent a message to him last night. He's probably more confident than I am and there's a decent chance he would know what to do."

"Leon thinks it best that we do nothing until nightfall. Told the rest of us to split up and just look around town. We'll stand guard tonight though," he changed the subject.

"And you didn't immediately go find the tavern?" Fira teased him.

"Wanted to find out where you'd gone. I'm pretty sure Merlin would kill me if something were to happen to you," he laughed, "Yes, yes, I know. You've got magic. But hey, what if Morgana were behind this and she caught you out here."

"Oh like you could stop her and I couldn't," she pointed out smugly.

"Fair point! But at least if I died fighting Morgana to protect you I wouldn't get blown to shreds by my best friend. And hey, I've got my reputation to consider," he winked.

Fira paused and frowned, deep in thought, "Gwaine," she hesitated, looking into the trees, "that little girl, Darian's daughter, did she seem... odd to you? Or come up in any stories about the attacks?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Her father mentioned that Joyce had gotten lost in the forest the day before the first attack," he stared at Fira, "Why?"

"It's nothing concrete. Just a feeling I have. Somehow that little girl is involved in all this," she insisted.

"What could a little girl have to do with attacks on a village?"

"I've no idea. Just trust me Gwaine. I don't even know if the part she played in this was good or ill. Just that she's involved."


	13. Power

Suddenly, without warning, Fira stepped up towards the trees. And Gwaine sprinted a few feet to catch up with her. She reached the tree line and slowly held her hand out.

Hesitantly she pressed her palm against the tree trunk. Instantly her eyes closed and her mouth was drawn into a thin line as a surge of magic was released back at her from the tree. She gasped in pain, but held her hand firmly in place for a few more seconds.

Gwaine watched concernedly but didn't intervene.

She wrenched her hand from the bark with a jolt and sat down in exhaustion. Holding her hand out, Fira looked in confusion from the slight burn marks to the tree. Powerful magic lingered in the wood. Magic from a time long ago. Magic like the earth itself. But something else was there too.

"What happened," Gwaine asked, brow creased in concern and confusion.

"I- it- I," she stammered, trying to find a way to explain it, "The trees. There is magic in the trees as old as the Earth. It is the basic magic of nature that many things have. But there was something else. A dark, black magic not of the same. Almost as though it were tied around the good magic. Only this dark magic is much more powerful than the magic of the tree. Or else the two are of such different natures that the one can hold dominion over the other merely because of where its strength lie."

Gwaine almost smiled at how Fira seemed to be trying to explain it to herself, not just Gwaine.

"Your hand okay?" he asked as she got to her feet.

"What? Oh my hand. Yes it's fine, nothing serious," she showed him her palm. Parts of it were scalded red but most of her hand was of fine color and texture.

"Right. Then let's get back. I still need to find the tavern!"

Percival grinned, relieved, as he caught sight of Gwaine and Fira coming towards him. He'd just finished looking around the major areas of the town and was having a little trouble convincing one of their horses to follow him to the meager stables.

"Glad you're here! Aland won't budge!" he called out to them. As if to prove his point the palomino stallion reared up on his hind legs and neighed loudly.

Fira laughed as she came up to them.

"Aland! I need you to follow Sir Percival to the stables. Alright?" she told the horse sternly.

The horse flattened his ears and lowered his head as if in apology before giving Fira a little kiss with his snout.

"Alright, alright. I'll come too!"

She led him over to the stables, Percival and Gwaine following though they were deep in conversation.

She took off Aland's saddle and bridle and hooked on a halter and lead. Tying the long lead to a hook on the inside of the stable she unhooked the saddle bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"If you want your own room at the inn you should hurry up!" Percival teased her.

She shot him a good natured glare before saying goodbye to Aland and following the two knights over to a large building. When Percival swung the door open, Fira found she was met with the smell of ale. She gave thanks to the triple goddess that at least the tavern wasn't obnoxiously loud yet. Turning to the right Percival led them up some stairs and down a hall. Two doors led from the hallway.

Elyan had a smug smile on his face as he leaned against the doorframe of the first room.

"Sorry guys, this one's full."

"But that's the only one with more than one bed and it's big!" Percival complained.

"First come first serve, mate," Leon smirked as he walked out of the spacious room.

Percival groaned and opened the second room. It was much smaller than the first. One bed was pushed against a corner and in all there was barely enough floor space to allow a walkway and let two people sleep on the floor.

'I get the bed!" Fira shouted and quickly ran in to claim her prize.

"Why do you get the bed? You're the smallest so you should sleep on the floor!" Gwaine joked with a whine.

"Ladies first, my good knights. And anyways, as Elyan said, first come first serve!"

Percival flung his stuff on the ground and set up his sleep palette.

"Don't worry Gwaine! Maybe we can find a way to be assigned to watch on a different shift then her. Then one of us can take the bed," he shot Fira a conspiratorial look.

She lost all her mirth when he said that. She knew she had to stay awake all night to protect her comrades. But Fira also knew they would never allow it if they caught wind of it. Quickly she put a fake smile on her face but looked out the small window above her bed.

Percival left to go find something to do. Gwaine knew something was up with Fira; he could tell by the way her left hand was subconsciously running fingers over the burns to her right as she stared out the window.

He went to the other room and found Leon sharpening his sword.

"Leon," he started, closing the door behind him, "Fira's planning on staying up all night. I can tell. Something eating at her. But," he paused, "I think we should let her stay on guard."

"All night, Gwaine? She's not much older than a child," Leon objected.

"Perhaps not, but she's going to find some way or another to make sure that she IS around to protect us tonight and personally I'd rather know where she is and what she's up to!" Gwaine insisted.

Leon thought for a moment before nodding. It would be better for them to know what she's up to.

"Very well. You and Elyan are the first up on watch tonight. I suggest you go do something for the next few hours before it gets dark."

Gwaine nodded and left to tell Fira the good news. Then he'd go get a few drinks.

With Gwaine and Percival both out of the room, Fira changed into something less noticeable; she decided a dark grey tunic and black leggings would suite guard duty better than the all-white one she was wearing. She put her cape folded up on the end of her bed and opened the window to let a sweet breeze flow through the room. Deciding that she should rest before going out on patrol all night, she lay down and napped for a few hours.

Gwaine knocked on the door to the room. When he got no response he went in and found that Fira was asleep. She looked younger lying there, more peaceful. He saw in her eyes and manerisms when she was awake the same things he saw in Merlin. A heavy weight was on her shoulders, something that she carried alone; a burden that she didn't wish to place on anyone else.

Her eyes always seemed partially covered. There was something deep, something that kept her from ever feeling truly free or happy. Gwaine pitied her. It was times like these that made Gwaine feel like magic users were the victims, not those without. Morgana may be evil now, but she wasn't always. He'd heard enough about her to know that.

But what was it about Merlin and Fira? There was something there beyond just the secret of having magic. Something beyond having to hide their powers.

Gwaine wondered not for the first time why Fira seemed so dead set on protecting the knights. It reminded him once more of Merlin's limitless loyalty to Arthur. What was it with these two warlocks that made them so... different? Gwaine decided in that moment to find out why from both his magical friends when they got back to Camelot.

His train of thought was broken when Elyan came up behind him.

"You two coming?" he whispered.

"I just feel guilty waking her up," Gwaine smirked, to which Elyan chuckled.

Gwaine loudly knocked on the wall. Fira instantly shot up and her eyes flashed gold as she instinctively caught her sword that came flying from her pack in the corner.

"What the hell was that for!" she demanded angrily when she realized it was just Gwaine and Elyan.

"You were asleep," Gwaine tried to explain guiltily.

"So naturally instead of waking me up by saying my name you decided the safest way to wake a sleeping sorceress is to scare her half to death!" she looked at them angrily.

"Well," Elyan started, trying to help out his fellow knight.

"Just. Never mind," Fira interrupted as she finished strapping on her boots and tying her cloak on. Pulling her belt on, she stalked out of the room between them and went down the hall, pulling her hair up in a partial messy bun.

Elyan and Gwaine watched her walk down the stairs.

"Good job, Gwaine," Elyan told him sarcastically, patting him on the shoulder and following the druid girl. Gwaine snorted and went after him.

They found her waiting outside the door for them, her head in her hands as she leaned against a barrel.

"I'm sorry Fira," Gwaine gave her a half smile as he came over.

"I could have killed you. I- I could have lashed out at you two instead of just getting my sword," she whispered sounding utterly defeated.

"But you didn't," Elyan reasoned.

"You two have no idea of the power I possess," she stated quietly, looking out at the setting sun.


End file.
